1001 NIghts
by I.am.Hollow
Summary: Sesshomaru woke from a deep slumber, only to find himself indebted to a human no less, his left arm amputated, and tensaiga gone. To retrieve the said sword he allowed the girl, Rin, into their company. She has only until the next blood moon to recount the events or it will be lost forever. But what if the things she tells him at night are not just stories, but his lost memories?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: The ransom**

**.**

"You only have until the next blood moon to make him remember." The fallen daiyokai infront of her sputtered blood.

"Remember what?" Rin was confused. What is he talking about?

"You." The demon answered albeit with difficulty. He smiled sinisterly as if he was privy to some joke.

That one word left her stunned. She didnt know what exactly had happened before she arrived, but somehow it gave her an ominous feeling. His answer had managed to stir fear deep within her heart.

Rin was going to demand from him more but the demon had already lost a lot of blood and his youki had already significantly diminished. She could see it leaking off from his severely injured body.

The wounds Tensaiga had left, rendered him good for dead. And so, after a few minutes, the yokai disintegrated and vanished forever.

.

.

Three agonizing days had passed before Lord Sesshomaru finally woke.

He felt tiny hands lightly brush his forehead. The movements were careful yet with expert ease. _Jaken_. But they were too soft to be the imp's.

Cold water dripped as a cloth wiped the sweat on his temples.

When he opened his eyes, true enough, he saw not the green imp's big round ones. What greeted him were chololate orbs glistenning with unshed tears. The owner frowning down at him in concern.

A girl. A human girl.

She blinked a couple of times. Disbelief and relief both written in her face. She dropped the washcloth into the basin beside his head and she held his face in both hands. "-maru sama." She stuttered.

"How dare you lay a hand on me, human?" His voice a little hoarse from disuse.

"Lord Sesshomaru...?" Rin uttered in confusion. He spat the word like a venom. _Human_. The word dropped like a huge wall between them. He has never called her that before. He called her child often but that was before he knew of her name. "It's me, Rin."

"Jaken!" He called out sternly. He tried to sit up in bed but pain shot through his entire system with the effort.

It was then that he realized that his left arm was gone.

"You musn't move yet-" Rin despite her earlier dilemma tried to lay him back down but he slapped her hand away, like she was filthy or something.

"Ma-master!" The imp could not hide his glee as he ran towards them and almost tripped in the process. "You're awake!"

The daiyokai ignored the arrival of his loyal aide. "Who are you?" The dog demon questioned the human girl instead.

"You dont remember her?"

"You dont remember me?"

Jaken and Rin asked in unison, dumbfounded.

"No." He answered blatantly.

"Lo-lord sesshomaru, surely this must be a jest. I-" Rin stopped herself.

_No! Not after all you've confessed to me that night. Yes, that must be it. He might be in shock due to the trauma and injuries he had._

Images of the sly demon flashed in her memories. Is this what the enemy meant? His last words kept ringing in her ears.

"Tensaiga." The western lord asked of his sword. He could heal his arm with the weapon his father gave him.

"My lord, I'm afraid, but the sword is lost."

"Master Jaken!" Rin tried to reason.

Sensing the disheartened girl's resolve crumble, Jaken ordered, "Leave the room child."

When she tried to protest, the loyal aide held her hand in a firm grip, reassuring her everything will go back to normal. And she hoped to the heavens it would. Because right now, her heart's torn apart.

She bit her lip to stop herself from crying and ran out of the room.

.

Rin hurriedly went back to her own quarters.

"Lady Rin?" A handmaid's worried voice inquired from behind her. "Is everything alright?"

She only nodded in response and rushed out of sight from the other servants in the palace.

_Sesshomaru-sama... _He looked at her with such cold eyes. Her chest hurt. It felt like she was trampled on. _He doesnt remember me! _As she ran her tears continuously dripped from her eyes, wetting her cheeks.

What happened three nights ago was a blur. It was all too fast.

She was taking a bath on a nearby waterfall when a demon attacked her from nowhere. She screamed for help and Lord Sesshomaru came to her rescue. But the demon was far more deceitful.

The yokai asked for her master's most priced possession in exchange for her life. And Sesshomaru not wanting to risk her life, relented.

_Tensaiga_.

Rin went to her knees and grabbed the piece of garb from under her bed and felt the hilt of the katana wrapped beneath it.

She unsheathed the sword and held it in her palm. The blade glimmering in the moonlight casting a silvery shine.

He finally was able to master it's full potential. He had saved her countless of times with it. He was able to help his brother, Inuyaha, defeat the evil Naraku once and for all with it. He was able to reconcile with his father's decision of giving Tetusaiga to the younger sibling. When he had no resentment left, Tensaiga healed the arm he lost during the encounter with his old man too. He had achieve far more greater things since then.

This was Sesshomaru-sama's most valuable sword.

_But why did the demon not take it?_

_Was it not his most valuable possession? _

Then what exactly did Sesshomaru-sama gave in exchange for her life?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Shards**

.

_Her chest hurt. A lot._

_If this keeps up, she would surely drown._

_What little oxygen left in her lungs is depleting fast. _

_With every breath she takes water comes in instead of air. _

_The light from above had become distant and had faded. She's sinking lower and lower. Her body felt heavier by the minute. _

_And she's starting to lose her conciousness too. _

_Somehow the pain in her chest felt faint. The pounding in her head gone. The heavy feeling diminished. _

_It was almost peaceful. _

_Almost. _

_The last thing she felt was the hand on her ankles and the sharp nails digging deeper into her skin and flesh, pulling her further down into abyss before she gave in to the darkness. _

Rin woke to a start. She abruptly sat up on bed. She ran a hand down her leg. The wound on her foot stung and she felt feverish.

It was the only evidence she had of what happened that night. The only proof that her dream wasn't just a product of her imagination. But it was all she had. The rest was a blur.

She got out of bed and headed for the door.

She had only managed several steps when she started to feel sick. The miasma from her wound is causing her head to spin.

Rin leaned on the door for several minutes trying to catch her breath. When she felt a little stronger she pried it open and continued to walk down the hallway.

Just a few more turns and she'd reach Master Jaken's potion room. But her vision had started to blur so bad that she had to stay close to the wall, following its outline with her hands so she wouldnt get lost.

_"Rin." _

Her eyes widened a fraction.

For a moment she thought he remembered her. But when she turned around and connected eyes with him, there was no recognition in them. He just uttered her name purely to call her attention.

"Y-yes?" She replied. She blinked away the cloud and tried to focus on his face. She leaned on the wall to steady herself.

"You were poisoned." He stated matter-of-factly. A green glint showing in his eyes.

"It's my wound. I, I got it from-" Rin didnt get to finish her sentence as she found herself scooped up into an embrace.

Seconds later, she found herself back in her room as he laid her down the bed.

"Ah, it's fine. Master Jaken is taking care-"

"I see he is doing a good job." The hint of sarcasm was not lost to her.

She was about to open her mouth to ask him to rest as he himself had not recovered yet but was interrupted again as he expertly released the knot on her bandages and revealed her nasty wound. The miasma leaking out and a trace of blood oozing from the large cut.

He placed his hand above the cut. It glowed a shade of green and she noticed that the miasma had diminished.

"Thank you. Sessh-" The last words she whispered. She cant be overly familiar with him since he couldnt recall anything about her.

"If you are going to be of use to me, we cannot have you in such condition."

_Indeed_.

Master Jaken had concocted a story so she could stay at the palace without the demon lord suspecting anything. One, Jaken knew once the lord's memories return, which he hopes is soon, that if he let Rin out of the palace, Sesshomaru would have his head. Two, he believes, Rin would be essential to their mission if not the key.

He was able to remove the excess miasma but her flesh had already been infected. Sesshomaru bit a finger, bled himself and then placed it directly above the gash.

The moment his blood came in contact with her wound, Rin felt an almost instant excruciating pain shot through her entire body.

She bit her lip hard, it almost bleed, to hold back her cry of pain.

But it grew in intensity that she doubled-over, clutching the sheets.

Not a second later, she dropped to her side unto the soft mattress.

Rin passed out.

.

.

Sesshomaru could not fathom where his irritation sprung from.

Seeing the human hurt somehow ired him. And when he realized how badly it was, he was honestly angry.

Angry! Of all things.

Angry at who or what he had no idea. And that made him angrier.

He had never lost his cool. Not once. Not even losing an arm from his recent encounter with the hanyou, Inuyasha and his sword Tetusaiga.

Ever since he woke up, it seems discomfort endlessly has pulled itself upon him. Distracting.

Against his will, Sesshomaru found himself standing beside his own reflection, a shadow casted by the dim moonlight.

It's haunting how he can't seem to leave the human alone.

Her presence is consuming, confusing. And this lack of self-control whenever she's near, he feared is never going to end.

He felt for his amputated arm. The stump secured by a tight bandage. The same sword-arm was severely injured by Inu Taisho years before when he confronted the older daiyoukai for ownership of both legendary swords. It wasnt as strong as his original arm but it was restored nonetheless. Now that his younger sibling had afforded him the same damage, without Tensaiga, he cannot heal the wound.

He was hurting. But it wasnt the physical pain. He knew from the deep recesses of his mind that he had felt this way before. And it was these type of wounds that he loathed the most. They will not heal, he knew. And no matter how appalled he is by the thought, he felt fear.

Fear for what? He doesnt know.

And there were those visions. Who was it that has been haunting his dreams?

There's something inside him that's pulling beneath the surface. It's crawling in his skin.

He had to find the answer.

And if it is the human that hides the answer, by hook or by crook, he will seek it out and take it from her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Deceit**

**.**

His sword hand was his dominant hand. Being a lefty was quite handy in fights. Since most of his enemies were right-handed, they find it awkward sparring with him.

His other arm is good with a sword too. He had trained for some time with it after his old man had cut off his left arm several years back. Inu Taisho never spared much thought if it were his own flesh and blood, the blow he dealt was fatal and it took long for the younger demon to grow the limb back.

But slashing and stabbing were easier to perform. Finer things such as tying bandages, holding utensils and cutlery, all require intricate movements. And his right hand fail to deliver.

He spared a glance on the half undone bandage hanging from his amputated limb. A small part of the stump visible.

He wouldnt have it any other way. He would be more angrier if that idiot of a brother had gone easy on him. Sesshomaru had always appreciated a full and all-out fight.

It was low of him to use such tactic against the hanyou. His half brother Inuyasha had always had a soft spot when it comes to his human mother. He only ever meant to provoke the half-wit when he showed him a replica of the princess Izayoi.

Despite his looks, the half human-half dog demon respects him as an older brother and had on countless times refused to point a sword at him. Well, except for that time.

Tetusaiga had the same destructive powers as the sword their father had. If the blow he had received was any indication. Like father like son, Sesshomaru thought.

It's only been 6 days since his encounter with the half-mutt. He found it peculiar that he could not detect any bit of trace of Inuyasha's demonic aura on his wound. Not even Tetusaiga's power.

Instead, he found something far more ominous. Far more darker in nature. And it was a disturbing thought. Who's youki is it that he felt?

Was it even his younger brother that attacked him? The western lord is starting to doubt himself. Yet he couldnt recall it being otherwise.

He was silently brooding over the facts in his head when he felt the human's presence nearby.

A few more seconds and the door to his room swung open revealing the timid girl.

"I didnt call for you."

"No you didnt." The impertinent lady answered as she continued to come closer to his bed, with a basin of water in hand and a washcloth on her shoulder.

"What are you doing here?"

"That needs changing." She pointed to his side. "It will pester otherwise. And didnt a particular someone say that I should be of use to him?"

"Come on then. We cant have you in such condition." She shot back the exact words he told her the other night. She motioned for him to turn on his side. And unwrapped the long strip of cloth without warning.

"You are one stubborn human."

"That I am." She looked him in the eye. "You should know by now that nothing you say will make me leave."

"Why are you smiling?" He voiced his annoyance.

"You remind me of someone."

He didnt say anything nor asked who it was he reminded her of, so she continued, taking his silence for approval.

"You remind me of my master. He's a demon too."

Sesshomaru would have cocked a brow at what the human had said. Only, he wasnt really interested. He could care less about who she worked for before all this. He just wanted her to be done with changing his bandages and leave him be.

"He took me in when I was no more than a child."

A rare feat. A demon who's fond of humans. Sounded like someone he knew. His old man was fond of humans. Inuyasha was the product of that particular fondness.

"He was very grumpy too." She talked fondly of her master. The human seemed to adore her lord.

No. It was more than that. She didnt just adore the man. She loved the man. He could see it in the way she looked even as she had all her attention on his arm.

And Sesshomaru found that he didnt like the thought. Why should it concern him if she had feelings for another person?

"And he was very scary too." Her reminiscing broke through his train of thoughts.

"You are wary of me. Why do you tend to my wounds?"

"To be honest I was afraid of you at first." She said unblinking. He decided to observe her as she continued washing the dried blood away from the wound.

"You're a demon after all and you had blood all over your clothes. But when I saw that you were wounded, all I could think was that I had to help you."

He couldnt find it in himself to trust the lady's words. He could feel she was telling the truth but she was also telling lies.

The last thing he did remember was resting on a tree on the nearby forest after receiving the fatal blow to his arm. And he did remember being found.

Yes, a human had found him, but that human wasnt Rin. Because the hands that he felt touch him and the toothy smile he recalled wasnt hers.

Rin is a grown lady. The one who found him wasnt a woman. It was a child.

.

It had soon become a routine. Every night she would come knocking on the door of his chambers to bring him food and a change of linens.

She would proceed to clean and change his dressings. And she would start to tell him her stories. Night after night she would come by and tell her tales and lies.

He didnt need the bedtime stories but she wont have it any other way. He is beginning to wonder who the lord and master of the house really is. Even Jaken seems to ignore his commands.

"Dont give me that look." She immediately fired even before she had closed the door. He had a ready scowl on his face everytime she barges in on him.

Tonight she had brought her dinner too. And like the other night, she'd sit beside him and eat.

"Dont worry. The fish is mine." She happily chomped off on a slice.

"You're not touching your food again. It will go cold." She reprimanded when he stayed there, stoic.

"Im not hungry."

"Yes. Yes. You dont eat human food. I know. But you need it to recover fast." She handed him the fork.

"You know, the lord, I mean, my master, he really hated fish." Rin smiled on the memory. She knew it was terrible of her to twist the truth. But this was all she could think of. Lord Sesshomaru may hate her for this, but she's desperate.

"One day, I remember thinking he must be starving. So I went and caught some. When I came back and showed him, he goes on saying he doesnt need human consumption. And after all the trouble I've been through to catch them."

"You'd think that he'd consider how I feel. Right?"

Sesshomaru felt cheated. The insolent lady is guilt tripping him. The nerve of this human. Nonetheless, he picked up the fork and stabbed a piece of meat and brought it to his mouth. Just so he could have some peace and quiet..

"I was about to take my leave, I was sulking you see. So I took the fish with me and decided I'd go cook it somewhere when master called me and inquired about my injury."

Her village was just ransacked by demon wolves and she was afraid and frightful. But Rin could still remember how gentle Sesshomaru-sama's hands were when he touched the side of her face as he healed her bruised eye.

And here he was, Sesshomaru-sama couldnt even recall who she was to him. He had no recollection of that fateful day. He had lost all memories that had her in it. All he has were from the time before they met. He believes that the injury he had now was the same injury he had before she found him in the woods back when she was just a child.

.

It was considerate of her to cut the meat into small pieces so he didnt have to do it himself. That would have taken him forever.

Sesshomaru could only observe the human as she chewed on her food. She kept on talking about this master of hers. But she's never really spoken a word about him and the circumstances of their meeting.

She was kind. She was forward. She had this air of innocence. But with her, Sesshomaru found it difficult to distinguish the truth amidst the lies.

Rin's spoon stopped midway to her mouth when she heard what Sesshomaru had to say next.

"So tell me, how did we truly meet?"


End file.
